You're My Hero
by lil noir neko
Summary: It only took one to make everything go wrong. It only took one bullet to pull a torn family together and make the impossible quite possible.
1. All It Took Was One

**Okay...It's kinda a sad story but I hope you like it! **

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**Chapter 1 - All It Took Was One**

Diana sat in the hosptial waiting room. Her eyes were red and puffy and her throat hurt from crying so much. She looked at her hands, the blood had dried and made her fingers stick together. "Diana?" she lokoed up, her father stood there. The worry was clearly written on his face. "Diana are you okay?"

"Dad he...he said he was okay."

"Diana...tell me what's wrong? Please, tell me what's wrong? What happened out there?" Diana tried to speak but she couldn't find her voice. All she knew was the safety promised on their mission was a flaw. An unforseen event caused her whole world to crumble in an instant on that mission. All it took was one shot. **One shot. **

"It wasn't supposed...supposed to end like...like this." She pressed her hands together and tears sprang from her eyes again, "Not him. Not..."

"Who Diana! Who! I got a call from the hospital and said one of my children-" Gerad Mystery froze and looked at Diana, "**Where's Martin? Diana where is he?**" Diana could only point at the doors that led to the operating room. Mr. Mystery looked toward the doors and back at his daughter. He pulled her into a hug and let her cry into his shoulder well his own tears fell. Diana's memory went back to the mission.

_Flash back_

"Martin, just because M.O.M says it's full proof you just assume that it's perfectly safe. She even said to be careful!" Diana shrilly cried as she wrapped the coat around her body.

"I know. I'll be careful. Don't worry about me. Worry more about yourself," Martin laughed and Diana hit him across the head.

"**I** can take perfectly good care of myself thank you very much!" She walked ahead of him.

"Is that so?" Diana stopped and turned around, "I bet you can't take care of yourself for this whole mission. I'm always saving you, I bet I'll have to save you again!"

"Yeah right! I can take care of myself!" Diana smirked and walked up closer to Martin, "Okay. We'll make it a bet. If you don't rescue me and I win you have to clean my room for a week and leave Jenny alone for a month."

"Deal! If I win you have to clean my room for a month and be Java's personal assistant for a week!" Diana groaned at Martin's part of the deal but shook his hand anyway. They were supposed to be investigating the recent disappearences of four people but they hadn't found any clues into the case after a day or two.

"This is impossible! Martin, come on, lets go get something to eat. We've been stuck up in this hotel the whole day." Diana walked over to Martin and poked him in the shoulder but he swatted her hand away and turned over. His eyes were closed and he was breathing softly. Diana's face softened. She had taken a nap earlier and assumed that Martin must have too but she was wrong. "Oh Martin..." Diana pushed him off the bed. His body made a thud and he woke up and rubbed his eyes.

"What did you do that for?" Martin asked angrily, "I was enjoying the sleep!" He sat up and tried to find his orange t-shirt. Diana blushed just noticing his atire which was a pair of pants and socks. He found the t-shirt and slipped on a black jean coat. "Coming?"

"Where?"

"To get something to eat." Diana frowned and followed the blonde out the hotel doors. He was heading toward a small restaruant just across the street from where they were staying. Diana made her way through the restaruant door first and found a quiet booth near the back. It was empty, save for the cook and a man sitting at the bar. Martin took a seat beside Diana and watched the man at the bar with a suspiscious glance every now and then. The snow outside blew more quickly now and made Diana wished she had worn a warmer coat. Martin pulled something out from under the table and gave it to Diana and put his own winter coat to the left side of him.

"Thanks. Don't think is what you call rescuing me though!"

"Sure sis. Sure..." Martin wasn't really paying attention, otherwise he would have known that he had won the bet right there. He had just saved his sister from getting a pretty bad cold. "That guy over there," Diana looked at the man at the bar.

"What about him Martin? He's just an ordinary citizen Martin! Get a grip," Diana sipped on her soda.

"I was just thinking, what if he knows something about the disappearences?" Diana sighed and started to eat her meal while Martin got up and went to the man serving drinks at the bar. "Hey, do you know who that guy is over there?"

"You're not 18, are you?"

"No."

"Well, take a seat. I can't offer you any alcohol but how about a root beer pop?" Martin nodded and took the beverage. "That man over there is a regular here. Goes after every pretty skirt he sees, no matter what the age. Most of them turn him down though." The bartender looked over at the booth Diana was sitting in, "That's a pretty one over there you know."

"That's my sister."

"Well, you better watch out. Every pretty girl that guy has even talked to lately has gone missing."

"You think he has something to do with it?" Martin asked. He arched his ebrow and looked over at his sister. _'Goes after every pretty skirt he sees, no matter what the age.' _

"I don't know," the bartender shrugged and ran a hand through his hair, "If I did I would be a rich man today, wouldn't I?" Martin looked back at the bartender and drank some more of his soda.

"I suppose so." Martin pulled out a four photos, "Are these the girls that he has been giong after lately." The bartender examined the photos and nodded.

"Yep and this one-" he pointed to the photo of a brown haired girl with brown eyes, "Was in here yesterday. She's a regular. Shows up every night on the dote. Shows up around 5 pm and leaves at 5:30 when her husband comes to pick her up. She's a beautiful person and has a wonderful personality. Not a bad rack either...you could just-" the bartender blushed, "I'm sorry. I get like that sometimes."

"Well, thanks for the help. I appreciate it."

"Aren't you a little young to be investigating disappearences."

"Lets just say this a hobby of mine."

"May I suggest finding a safer hobby?" Martin shrugged and got up from the bar stool.

"We do what we do I guess." The bartender shrugged and let Martin leave. The blonde made his way back over to the table where the man was sweet talking Diana. She didn't look to comfortable.

"Go away. I don't want to have to tell you again." Diana pulled away from the man.

"Awe...but baby, you and me...we could make sweet music together. My apartment is just over there."

"I believe the lady told you to leave." The man turned to him and was just about to punch him but Martin stopped him. "What's your name?"

"Jacob Rachet."

"Well Mr. Rachet will you please leave my sister alone. We were just about to leave." Martin pulled Diana up by the arm and toward the door. His speed increased as they made their way toward the hotel. Diana pulled away from Martin as soon they entered the hotel room.

"What did you think you were doing!" Diana screamed, "I can take care of myself!"

"Really...it didn't look like you were getting anywhere!" Martin flopped down on his bed, "You werent doing well at all. You looked pretty freaked out to me."

"I was **fine!**" Diana sat down on the bed and turned her face away from Martin. "I'm going out! Call me when you get an attituded change!" Diana left the room.

_End Flash Back_

"I should have stayed..." Diana put her face in her hands and took deep calming breathes. The click of high heels on the hospital surface. Diana looked up and saw a woman dressed in a white coat and pants walk up to her. She couldn't look at the head of the centre anymore.

"Diana," Gerad, having long since found out his son and daughter were part of government agency, a secret one, let the woman talk to his daughter. "Diana...what happened?"

"Martin...he...he protected me. He...saved me." Diana looked up and burst into tears. The teen standing next to M.O.M looked distressed and angry.

"Who did this to Marty?" Diana pointed a shaky hand at he second operating room.

"I...I...I watched the man shoot...shoot himself. He...he said that he..."

"Billy, please go bring back three cups of coffee please." The spiky haired teen nodded and left for the cafeteria in the hospital. "Diana, please tell me what happened."

"I-I left the hotel room because we had a fight. I shouldn't have left but I did because I knew he was right I just didn't want to admit it."

_Flash back_

Diana walked across the street toward the restaurant. She walked into the door and saw the same man at the bar from before sitting there still. He had a beer in his hand and was watching the tv. She sat down at the bar, in front of the bartender. The man running the bar leaned down and looked at Diana.

"Where's your brother miss?" Diana humphed and looked the man straight in the eye.

"We had a fight. So I came back." The man looked Diana and watched as she glared at the drink sitting in front of her. "Besides, that Jacob guy probably just gives bad impressions in the beginin."

"Haven't you ever heard, first impressions are everything."

"Do you need my brother as proof."

"He seemed to make a good first impression to me." Diana laughed.

"Yeah, but not toward the girls." She looked at the Jacob guy again, "Wonder what makes him so bad?"

"I suppose it's a little of everything miss. You better be heading back, I suspect your brother will be worried sick about you. Here, give him a call to meet you in front of the hotel. What's the hotel number." Diana gave the man the paper and dialed the number. "Yes, hello Mr. Mystery. Yes, could you come meet your sister at the front door. Thank you. Bye now." He hung up the phone, "My names Murry, and tell your brother thanks."

"I didn't need him to meet me but I guess I'll have to go now." She looked and saw Martin standing at the front door. "He's quick."

"He just worries about you. It's written all over his face you know."

"You do know, you just made me lose my bet."

"What's a bet worth worth if you're not alive anymore." The man smiled and Diana nodded, agreeing with the friendly man at the counter. "Have a nice night now."

"I will, thank you." Diana ran out the door and toward the hotel. She didn't notice Jacob get up and leave as well. She had just got outside and was about to cross the street when something grabbed her around the stomache.

"Be a good girl and I wont hurt you." Diana felt the man tug her backwards toward an old looking apartment building. She saw Martin run across the street after her but lost sight of him when she was dragged into the building. The elevator behind her rang loudly as it made it to the floor she was on and she was pulled into it. She watched as Martin just made it into the building but was too late to stop the door from closing.

"MARTIN!" Diana struggled within his grip. "MARTIN!"

"Quiet!" The man snapped, "I don't want him finding us."

Diana, the ever so damsal in distress, bit back a retort. "No way you freak! Where do you take those girls."

"Take them where? They're up in my apartment waiting for you to join them. If you don't be good you'll join them sooner then you hoped for." The man pushed a gun into her back, "In this gun there are four bullets. Three of which I could put into vital areas of your body killing you instantly."

"What's the fourth one for?"

"Suicide. I really don't want to get caught, now do I?" Diana was starting to feel the fear building inside of her. "Now, be a good girl and step into this apartment." The man pushed Diana in and locked the door behind both of them. "Now...take off your clothes."

"What?"

"Take.Off.Your.Clothes."

"EW! No!" Diana looked the man straight in the eye as he pointed the gun at her face. She couldn't let her fear show. Not right now. She ran to the bedroom and pushed the door closed. The gun rang out but she didn't feel any pain. The bullet had missed her completely.

"Darn. There goes one vital point missed. Are you going to make this easier for me now?" Diana didn't like the ton in his voice and barely managed to keep her scream hidden.

"Yeah right buddy! You're not touching my sister." Diana heard something large and heavy make a thud on the hard wood floor outside the bedroom. She looked around and saw four dead bodies laying in the corner. She covered her ears and closed her eyes but it didn't stop her from hearing two more gun shots go off.

"MARTIN!" The worst case senario ran through her mind as she opened the door. Martin was standing there, his hands were covered in blood and his eyes were dull. "Martin...are you...okay?" He looked at her, as if he had snapped out of his trance and picked her up.

"I'm fine." Diana looked over to the man laying on the ground, fear took over again. He hugged her and held her close. "It's over now, we can go back." The centre was called to do clean up but they were informed that M.O.M and Billy had stepped out for a moment.

"Where are the other girls?"

"I-In the bedroom. They're a-all dead." The man in the white suit nodded and she hugged Martin tightly. She broke like a dam and her tears spilled out.

"It's okay now. Sshh..." Martin held her tightly, his own tears falling down his face. He wiped them away with his shirt and looked down. Part of Diana's shirt was red. "Di...move for a second. You're hurt."

"W-where!" Diana asked, scared. She looked down and saw red on her shirt. She felt around and felt no flesh wound. She looked over at Martin and down. Where could so much blood come from. "M-Martin? S-stay still. Don't...don't move."

"Why?" he asked, his funny lopsided grin not there but replaced with a look of pain. Diana rolled up his shirt gently and saw the wound.

"Y-you're hurt. Medic! Over here!" One of the centre medics came over and looked at Martin.

"We can't do anything here. We'll have to rush him to the hospital." The agent called 911. An ambulance came and took Martin away and Diana went with him in the ambulance. He was unconscious now, a mask was used to keep him breathing.

_End Flash Back_

"They asked me if I wanted to lay but I couldn't. I can't...if I did..." Diana felt M.O.M hug her and she cried. That's all she could do. "It's all my fault! Martin's dying because I had to leave! It's all my fault!"

"It's not all your fault," M.O.M whispered gently in her ear keeping her voice calm. The sad part was that even M.O.M had tears running down her face, "He's going to be okay. I know he is." Diana just kept crying. There seemed no end to her tears. The emergency doors opened and everyone looked up...

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**To Be continued...Sorry...gotta leave you guys guessing...**


	2. Wake up

**Chapter 2 - The Easy Way Out**

"Who's here for Jacob Rachet?" M.O.M stood up and looked at the doctor.

"I'm here to take him into custody."

"I'm terribly sorry ma'am, he died on the operating table." M.O.M and Gerad Msytery both looked angry and astonished but Diana, she was just angry.

"THAT BASTARD DIED ON THE OPERATING TABLE! HE GOT THE EASY WAY OUT WHILE MY BROTHER IS IN THERE FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE!" Diana ran into the operating room and walked up to the body.

"She can't go in there!" The doctor cried. "Sec-"

"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that." M.O.M flashed her badge and ran in after Diana. The black haired woman just stopped her from decapitating the dead bodies head and held her back. Diana struggled in her grip for a few minutes before calming down. Diana's knees gave way and she fell to the floor, sobbing.

"THAT-THAT BASTARD HE-" Diana couldn't form a sentence, "MY BROTHER-MY BROTHERS IN THERE DYING BECAUSE-" Diana sobbed harder, "HE'S FIGHTING FOR HIS LIFE AND THIS GUY...THIS GUY GETS AWAY SCOT FREE!" Tears soaked her face as she pounded her fists in M.O.M's uniform. M.O.M did the only thing she could do, and held Diana till she cried herself to exhaustion. Diana collapsed into the woman and she was still crying.

"He's got to be okay," M.O.M carried Diana out of the room and put her on a stretcher where a doctor took her to a room to give her something to keep her calm. Billy went with the doctor on M.O.M's orders. Gerad Mystery looked at the woman then back at the operating room Martin was in.

"My boy...he's dying in there and..."

"He'll live. He has to," M.O.M looked at the broken father, "If he doesn't Diana will probably bring him back to life with her anger. When did you get the call?"

"24 hours ago. I took the fastest flight I could. He has to live...I've been so mean to him over the years. I blamed him and...I've doubted him...I have so much to make up for. I can't lose my chance to make it up to him. I owe him that much." Gerad Mystery hid his face in his hands, exhaustion taking him over.

"He'll be okay." The rest of the night was spent in silence. Soon the doors to the operating room doors opened and a doctor came out.

"Mr. Mystery. M.O.M." The doctor looked at them, "I used to work for the you-know-what." Mr. Mystery only nodded and looked at the doctor.

"Hows my son?"

"We're lucky. The bullet didn't hit anything vital." Relief washed over both adults sitting in the chairs, "It'll be a bit before he wakes up and I want to observe him for at least a week to see if there are any complications but otherwise..." the doctor looked away, silence taking in the waiting room again."It was one my girls that was killed by that...**maniac.**" He looked at Gerad, "I just want to say your lucky because your children survived his attack. Thank you for investigating this. I'm Martin's personal doctor during his stay here. I really don't know how to thank your son and daughter."

"You've already done that. You saved his life." Gerad got up and shook the mans hand and hugged him. "Thank you." The grown man started to cry. The doctor hugged him back and led him toward the room Martin would be staying in. Martin wasn't so bad that he was in intensive care. He was placed in a room with two beds. Diana occupied one of them.

"Like I said, he'll be asleep for a while and he'll be in a lot of pain for at least a week. We stitched up the area where the bullet hit. It'll take a least a month for him to recover from that. It's a likely chance that his side will be tender for a long time so he'll have to be careful. In my opinion he should stay at home where there will be people to help him out. As for your daughter," the doctor looked over at Diana, "I think she'll be fine. She's had a bit of a scare but I do recomend some tharapy for both of them. I've seen this kind of thing before, gun victoms like this. They never fully recover and there will always be that fear but I suspect it will be your son who has the bigger fear. I'm not a professional though, so I couldn't tell you. I'll be checking up on both of them in an hour or two."

"Thank you...again."

"You just saved two peoples lives," M.O.M finished, "But we'll let you get back to work." The doctor left the room. "Lets let them rest." Gerad and M.O.M left the room, Billy was asleep in the chair and the siblings were sleeping on the beds.

_**The next day 6:30 am...**_

Diana opened her eyes and sat up. She had an iv attatched to her arm with a weird liquid flowing through her system. Whatever it was, it was keeping her calm. Right now she wished she could get angry but she couldn't. She looked over to her right and pulled back the curtain. Martin was sleeping in the bed next to her. An IV was in his arm as well but it had something different flowing through his system. He was pale but not as pale as he had been when he was brought into the operating room. Blankets covered his body and there was a red button by his hand when he woke up

Diana pushed her own red button and a nurse came in. "Yes, what would you like?" Diana's stomache made a sound and the nurse laughed quietly. "Okay, I'll get you some food but first, lay down." Diana nodded and complied. The nurse removed the IV and left the room to get Diana something to eat. The nurse returned a few minutes later with a tray of food and noticed Diana looking at her brother. "He's going to be fine."

"Oh! Sorry. I just...it's just..."

"I'm not sure what happened, well most of it at least but I heard he saved you." Diana looked at the nurse and nodded, "I'm sure you two were put through a very tough ordeal but it's over now. You're safe." Diana nodded but didn't really know what to say. So many guns had been pointed at her, by aliens and other creatures but none of them, **none of them**, had ever hurt her brother. Martin was always the strong one. He was always the one who saved the day and never let anything bad happen to her, if it did he stopped it and took care of her. Looking at her brother now, you wouldn't think that. Not with the IV in his arm or the breathing mask on his face.She had to help her brother get better, it was her turn to help him. Diana stood up and walked over to her brother. "Would you like to eat by him." Diana nodded again and the nurse moved her tray onto a table by Martin's bed. The nurse set a chair with soft cusions by the bed and helped Diana to the chair. "The drugs we gave you earlier are partially what is keeping you calm. They'll wear off in a couple of hours."

"You didn't have to do that." The nurse simply shook her head.

"It may seem an irrational action now but at the time you were really distraught. Don't you remember?" Truthfully, Diana didn't remeber what she had done the night before. She only remembered that she was very angry. A worried look came across her features and the nurse must have caught the look because she smiled and put a hand on her shoulder, "You didn't do anything bad."

"Thats good to know," She glanced back over at Martin.

"He's asleep right now. He'll wake up soon enough, once the drugs wear off. You better eat now, don't want to be too tired when your brother wakes up."

"Thanks. Is he-is he seriously hurt?"

"The bullet didn't hit anything vital. The bullet was just hard to reach so we had open him up a little bit to get it. He's got a fair amount of stitches on his right side and it'll take time for them heal, but other then that he'll be fine."

"What about mentally?" Diana asked knowing that her brother wouldn't react well to this kind of situation.

"Mentally...I can't really say. I didn't study in that department. I do suggest that you talk to him though. He seems like the strong silent type, at least when it comes to personal issues."

"Yeah...that's not one of his best traits."

"Many people do that, to show that they can be strong like everyone else. It's a normal human reaction, at least to me." Diana nodded, not sure about what to say at this point. "Have a good day. I'll be back to check both your vitals later."

"Wait! Please?"

"Yes," the nurse turned around and looked at Diana.

"When will we be able to check out."

"You, I'd say tonight and your brother...he's going to be here for at least a week." Diana frowned and looked down at her brother. "Is something wrong?"

"He doesn't like hosptials. He was at one once, when he was little. He had a bad case of pnemonia. (THat may be spelled incorrectly, if so then forgive me) He hasn't liked hospitals since." The nurse walked up to him and patted his other hand.

"Well, we'll make it a nice stay here for him then. Is that okay?" Diana nodded. She had no idea why she was being so protective of Martin, well she knew partly why but the other part of her didn't. The nurse left and walked out of the room leaving Diana alone with her brother.

"I'm sorry you had to end up here," Diana whispered, "I know you saved me and I love you for it. Why did you have to get yourself hurt in the process though?" Diana squeezed his hand more tightly, "I wish I knew what you were thinking right now. If I did...maybe I...maybe I could help." Diana brushed away a tear and started to eat the hosptial food. It wasn't that bad and it did fill her stomach.

"Diana?"

"Yes, what would you like?" She asked looking up to see who it was. Standing before her was Billy. He looked really down and it wasn't hard to guess why. "He hasn't woken up yet. You can sit here and wait if you like." Billy nodded and took a seat in the chair on the other side of the bed. "Billy, can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"What was I like when they brought Martin in?" Billy opened his eyes wide and looked away from Diana. "Billy! Tell me...please?"

"Well..." Billy looked at her again, "I wasn't there right away. I got there when M.O.M got there. When they announched that the man responsible for the attacks died on the operating table you just...you just ran in. I heard you shouting but I don't know what you were shouting and then M.O.M walked out with you in her arms. You must have feinted because you were out of it for awhile.

"Really?" Billy nodded and Diana looked at her feet, "I must have been pretty mad."

"Pretty mad, if looks could kill everyone in that room would have been dead on the spot." Billy laughed queitly and looked at Martin. A frown crossed his face and a sad empty look filled his eyes. "Martin..."

"What about Martin?"

"He looks different...doesn't he?" Diana looked at her brother again. He did look different. A frown was placed on his lips and he looked like he was in pain. "It's like...all the happiness has been drained out of him."

"Yeah, I bet he is dreaming of that guy and...and the...the gun." Diana closed her eyes, trying to block the image of her brother bleeding that sprang up.

"What did he...what did he do after he was shot?"

"He asked if I was okay. At first he thought...at first he thought I was bleeding but...but it wasn't me. I felt around and there was no wound. That's when I realized it was him." Diana looked down, tears in her eyes, "I can't believe he risked his life to save mine. How...how stupid."

"Why is it stupid?"

"If I hadn't run off he would have been fine..." Diana curled her hand into a fist for a moment then let it go and took hold of Martin's hand, "I hope he wakes up soon."

"Me too." Billy sat down on the other side of the bed and watched the heart monitor measure every heart beat. "I hope it's soon."


	3. Severe Disappointment

Hi! Me again! Yes, I have made another chapter which is good for those who are reading this. Good news, things get more intresting, the bad news...I wont be on here for at least a month!

I'm Kidding! I wouldn't do that to you guys. If I did I'd probably be mobbed. No, the real bad news, things don't get much better in this chapter. I just wanted to let you all know, this is a really hard story to write because it takes a lot of developement and a lot of thought. Well I should go. My dinners ready so I shall stop writting and let you enjoy this.

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**Chapter 3 - Severe Disappointment**

Three days later Martin felt the urge to open his eyes. He waited for the bleary images to clear up before speaking. Once the images were less blurry he opened his mouth to speak but his voice was wasn't working and it hurt to speak at the moment. Martin saw white...white everything and struggled against the bed sheets but someone held him down. Martin relaxed feeling too weak to do much else.

"Don't move too much." Martin turned his head slowly toward the voice and saw M.O.M sitting there, her book laying forgotten on the table. "You're in the hospital." He tried to speak again but his voice still wasn't working. M.O.M helped tip some water down his throat so his throat wasn't as dry anymore. "You were taken off the IV yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Martin looked around. _I was in here yesterday too. Wait! What about Diana! _Martin looked at M.O.M worridly and tried to get up but she pushed him down again.

"Diana's fine." Martin sighed with relief and watched as M.O.M offered him some more water. Once that sip was taken he spoke again:

"Am I...in the...hospital?" Martin was starting to wonder just how long he had been here.

"For a good four days." Martin looked away, already he was starting to feel nausious. "Are you feeling sick?" Martin nodded and M.O.M gently helped him out of bed and and to the bathroom where he through up nothing but the air that had been in his lungs and maybe some of the IV fluid that had made it's way into his system.

"I...don't like...hospitals." He threw up again before sinking down with his head rest against the womans shoulder. M.O.M blushed but Martin had turned an even darker shade of red but he just didn't have the energy to stand up or keep his head up. M.O.M helped him stand and helped him back to bed. He hissed in pain and gripped his right side gently as M.O.M pulled the blankets up over his body.

"They had to open you up to take the bullet out." Martin looked away. He would have thrown up if he could but there was nothing left to throw up. "You look like you're going to be sick again."

"If I could...I would...have been already." Martin looked back at M.O.M, a look of fear etched into his features.

"We'll be getting you discharged in a couple of days. The doctor just has to check you out and check those stitches." Martin moved his hand toward his injured side and his eyes followed.

"I don't...understand why they...can't dis-discharge me now." Martin looked away, "I don't...want to...be here." M.O.M watched as Martin took a shaky breath with each word spoken and she could understand his restlessness. He was always moving around and doing something, he wasn't used to just sitting around and waiting. "I...want to...get out of here."

"I understand but we can't let you out yet. You'd run the risk of hurting yourself futhur." Martin glared at the raven haired woman.

"What do you think I'd just go and purposely go and kill myself! Do you think I'm that stupid!" Martin's voice seemed to grow stronger with anger. The doctors and nurses were expecting it at some point but not M.O.M. "Do you think I would just throw my life away!" M.O.M didn't want to look into his eyes, if she did she might see the hurt she had caused for making Martin think she thought so lowly of him.

"Martin! You're awake!" Gerad Mystery ran into the room, his blonde hair combed neatly back. Diana, who wasn't present, was sitting with Billy in the cafeteria. "Thank goodness! How do you feel? Does it hurt?" He stopped his tirade of questions for a moment to think. His eyes traveled to the traveled to the window, as if to hide the look but Martin's eyes followed his. Martin saw it, for only a brief second and he knew that look all too well. Dissapointment, lack of trust and anger all mixed into one. "I'd like to talk to my son, in private if you will." M.O.M complied and left. The door shut, filling the silence that had taken over the room.

"Well...I'm waiting." Martin placed a goofy grin on his face, a mask of his true feelings.

"This is **_nothing_** to smile about young man." Gerad sat down and put his forefinger and thumb on the bridge of his nose, rubbing it as if he had a headache, "You should have called the cops! You were foolish!"

"But dad there was no-"

"**Quiet!** I don't want to hear your excuses and lies." Martin's golden brown eyes grew in size, anger and betrayal being the only thing he was feeling at the time, "You've dissappointed me yet again Martin. When will you learn?"

"Learn what? Learn that I'm just a reject son!"

"Martin! Where did you get that idea!" Martin opened his mouth but he was stopped, "No! Nevermind. I don't want to hear where it came from. It was more likely that your wild imagination came up with that just to get back at me for trying to raise you right." Gerads voice softened, "Son...I care about you. I just want you to grow up to be someone-"

Martin pulled his hand away quickly and looked at his father, "Someone like you." Mr. Mystery tried to touch his son's hand again but it was no use. Martin would just move his hand away again and again.

"No! It's not lik-"

"If I'm such a disappointment why do you keep coming back to get discouraged?" Martin looked away and held his hands close to his chest, ignoring the pain residing within his side, "Why do you even pretend to care?"

"Don't talk to me like that! I am your **farther!** You **will** respect me!" Martin laughed and looked at his dad. "_What _is so funny? Why do you have that stupid grin plastered on your face!"

"Respect goes both ways dad." Martin pushed the call button on his bed, "Now get out."

"Martin you will talk to me! You will talk this out! You're not emotionally stable right now!" Martin frowned and felt another wave of pain hit him.

"I said **GET OUT!" **Martin glared at his father and coughed for a bit, his voice not used to yelling at the moment. The door burst open and Martin sank back down into a laying position, feeling slightly weak after the fight. A nurse with blonde hair came in with a glass of water. M.O.M followed the nurse into the room and frowned, hearing the arguement from outside. She could do little about it though and chose to sit down.

"What's the problem Mr. Mystery?" The nurse looked from father to son before fixing her gaze on Martin. "Oh my, you look terrible. What happened?"

"Please escourt my father out of the room."

"I'm staying and we are going to talk this out!"

"Mr. Mystery-" Gerad Mystery pulled away and grabbed his son's hand, not letting go no matter how much Martin pulled away. The nurse looked nervous as she touched his shirt.

"Let go..." Martin tried to pull away but he was just too weak right now, "Let go and leave the room." Martin was fading and his heart monitor was going off the charts.

"No! We need to tal-"

"MR. MYSTERY!" The nurse yelled. He directed his attention to her as M.O.M relieved his grip on Martin, "You are obviously causing the paitent distress. He won't get better this way. He needs his rest and if you are just going to agetate him I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave for a couple of days. He won't be discharge for at least three more days. We want the stitches to get a good amount of time to heal. Goodbye." The nurse guided him out the of the room and shut the door in his face.

"I WILL BE BACK TOMORROW TO COMPLAIN TO YOUR SUPERVISOR!" The nurse calmly walked back to the door and opened it. Martin was afraid that she was going to let him in but she just stood there for a moment and looked at the distraught man.

"I am the head nurse sir." She smiled nicely at him, "And if you are distressing the paitent I wave the right to escourt you out till you are more calmed down. Now, if you wish to yell like that agian sir, I will have security escourt you out and you will not be allowed to see your son till he is released." The man ran his hand through his hair and looked at her, a deadly glare connecting with her. She didn't budge though and shut the door again. "I'm sorry young man," she smiled at him and started to check his vitals, "You get some more sleep and you should feel better when you wake up." She double checked his stitches before she left, to make sure they were intact and left the room. M.O.M followed her out.

"Will you be sure to tell me when he wakes up. I'd like to get him to eat something now that he is off the IV."

"Of course. I'll call you when it's time, but can you please make sure it is you that comes."

"I'm the only nurse attending to him today. I'm working a double shift. Another nurse will be here tomorrow but-" she pulled out a pad of paper and wrote something down. She gave the slip of paper to the raven haired woman, "here is my home phone number. If you have any problems just call."

"Thank you." M.O.M left the nurse to let her go and do other duties. M.O.M re-entered the room and found that Martin was still awake. "You should get some sleep."

"I'm not tired." His voice was horse but that was expected from the amount of shouting he had done, "Why did you think I'd kill myself?" He looked at her with sad eyes. M.O.M had never seen him with that look before and it made her want to cry.

"I didn't mean it like that," she replied, "We were just worried that if you got up too soon your stitches could break and you'd have be stuck in this world of white for a little while longer."

"Oh...I'm sorry I yelled at you." In all her life M.O.M had never heard Martin Mystery apologize to her. "Just don't let my dad in..." Martin's head lolled to the side, sleep taking him over once again.

"It's okay and I wont if you don't want me to." She closed her eyes too, and drifted off to sleep on the couch.


	4. Family Ties

Well, here's another update. Now, you've all probably noticed, I have a certain dislike for Martin's father. In most of my stories he's a real ass, but to be fair, I'm trying to help improve him. Well, his relashionship with Martin anyway. Yes, I am rambling again but I felt like it. :P Well, I'll let you read the story now.

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**Chapter 4 - Family Ties**

Gerad Mystery walked down toward the cafeteria. His anger had not faded, if anything it kept building up. His hands were tucked away in his pockets where a now crumpled up get well card intended for Martin lay, the ink smudged so the words were un-readable. He found his way over to Diana, who was talking non stop with her alien friend Billy. Gerad Mystery, for all his common sense was worth, was puzzled at why his children would work in a place filled with so many different types of creatures. He didn't hate the fact that Diana and Martin worked for a place that had probably helped save the world on more then one occasion, it was the confidence it gave Martin.

Gerad Mystery wanted his son to build some morals, but it was plainly obvious that he didn't take into account that those missions also helped Martin build something entirely different. Something other then morals, not that he didn't have any. In fact one could say his morals were some of the highest ones out there, if not a little quirky but the world would be boring with the different and odd people out there. It was those very quirky ones; ones that thought they could get away with murder that bugged the elder Mystery but the topic on his mind was beginging to wander.

What Gerad Mystery failed to realize about Martin was all that pain the teen tried to conseal in the depths of his mind. His father never noticed how broken he looked when the elder man felt disapointed and angry at him when Martin was telling the truth. Truth be told, Mr. Mystery loved his son just as much as he loved Diana, even though she wasn't his flesh and blood. The problem was that Martin's father compared the two even if he didn't mean to. He just wished that Martin had more common sense, like Diana.

He watched his daughter from the other side of the table for a moment. True, Martin had saved Diana's life but he had also runned the risk of a father losing both his children. He knew he should have listened to Martin's side of the story, but he was just so tired of hearing the same old excuse. If he had bothered to listen to his son, he would have known that there hadn't been time. He would have known that Martin was right but he never did listen to his son. Even now, when there was proof of aliens he still didn't believe him. He loved Martin but he didn't like the way the Centre had made his love for the paranormal develope.

Gerad knew his relashionship with his son wasn't good, and it hadn't been since his mother died. Things had never been the same after that and his son had turned to the more irrational, but then again his mother had always been like that too. She had been full of life and cared for her family all the way up to the heavens and probably higher. He knew they would have their fights on what to talk to their son about, but most times she told Martin stories to see him smile where as his father wanted him to be more rational. The thought had never occured to Mr. Mystery that Martin could be destined for greater things. He knew that there had to be a rational side to every story but sometimes, that just wasn't the case.

"You okay dad?" Diana asked, "You seem really quite and you haven't yet once talked about one of your digs." His daughter had a good sense when to notice the little things that were wrong and that was one of the qualities he loved about her. It was Martin that puzzled him. Martin was never the same when he was around and the air around them would become slightly more tense then it should be. "Dad?"

"Oh!" He shook his head, "I'm fine dear. Just thinking a little bit. So, how do you feel today?"

"Better, but I'm going to go see Martin in a minute. I was just having something to eat." She finished her meal and stood up, "Are you going to come with me? I'm sure Martin would love to see you." She was looking at him for an answer but he couldn't come up with one. He couldn't tell his daughter that he had been kicked out of the room, by Martin no less. No matter how he looked at it, it felt digrating to him and he was disgusted with the way Martin had acted. He paid no mind to how he was acting, imeaditatly assuming Martin was going to come up with some poor excuse or lie.

"No. Not right now. I can pick you up later though, I have some errands to run." Diana frowned, not knowing what was going on in her fathers mind.

"Okay. How about around 8:35 pm?" Mr. Mystery nodded and walked past her, giving her a quick hug and kiss. He stopped at the trash can and threw something in and left. Diana, much to her disgust, put her hand in the trash and pulled out what he had thrown in. She opened the crumped cardboard and looked at it. The ink had been smudged, making it hard to see what was writtin. There was a small part that had been partially okay. She frowned and held the card to her chest. What was written on the small get well card was beautiful. _'Get well soon Martin. I love you just as much as your sister and I'm proud of you that you saved her life. Love dad.' _Diana couldn't make out the top part, but it looked like it had been some sort of sonnet from a poem. "Why would dad throw this out?"

Gerad Mystery drove around town, doing various errands. He was trying not to think about what had happened in the hospital earlier. No matter how hard he tried though, he couldn't get that scene out of his mind. Martin had never told him to leave, he would just sit and take it like all good kids were supposed to. He had protested at times but his voice would just die out.

_'If I'm such a disappointment why do you keep coming back to get discouraged?'_ His son's words echoed in his mind. What had Martin meant by that? Gerad Mystery was ashamed, though he wasn't quite sure of what. He knew one thing though, he son was a puzzle and he couldn't fit a single piece together.

Diana stepped into her brothers room. M.O.M was reading a book and Martin was sleeping. The dark haired woman looked up from her book and pulled a seat up to Martin's bed so Diana could sit down. "Thanks. Did Martin- I mean has he woken up yet?"

"Yes." M.O.M replied, not quite sure of what to tell the girl.

"Did my dad talk with him. I knew he came to visit but what happened?" M.O.M wasn't sure what to tell Diana. She had probably seen more then one fight between them but she wanted Martin to tell Diana himself.

"What's that in your hand?" M.O.M asked, finding a perfect change of subject, something she rarely did but it seemed to do the trick.

"Oh, dad threw this in the garbage. It's a card for Martin but he probably just threw out by accident." Diana placed the card on the stand. The ink was dry now and left in a smudged state and the card looked pretty beat up. M.O.M couldn't help but frown at the card.

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Well I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a rather hard one to write.


	5. What Did I do wrong?

Okay, I have updated again tonight. I seem to be on a spree here! YAY! Hope you like this chapter as well. It's happy and sad so it's a bit of a relief in some parts. I really hope you enjoy this story!

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**Chapter 5 - What Did I do wrong?**

Diana watched her brother sleep. M.O.M had stepped out of the room for a few moments and told Diana to call the nurse when Martin woke up. M.O.M still had duties at the centre but she was just going to pick up some needed files and work on them in the hospital room. M.O.M promised to stay with Martin till he was out of the hospital. Diana was grateful for that and was happy that there were people there that loved and cared for her brother. She held his hand and tried hard not to cry, looking at Martin sleeping in the hosptial bed. She rubbed his hand gently, feeling the tears fall. She had her eyes closed, trying to break free from the waterfall that was waiting to come out of her eyes.

"Cry baby..." Diana looked up and saw Martin, smiling half heartidly at her. She wiped her eyes and hit him on the head.

"I'm **not** a cry baby!" She pursed her lips together and her cheeks grew red from holding her breath in anger. Martin laughed quietly and forced her to laugh too. "How are you feeling?" Her voice had turned serious now sadness threatning to take over once again.

"Don't sound so sad. It's not as if I'm dying." Martin still had a smile on his lips. He winced every now and then due to pain but that was to be expected. Diana tried to hold back the tears but they just exploded from her.

"But it's **my fault **you're here in the first place. It's...my fault..." Martin frowned and pulled her close, to try an hug her but that was proving difficult.

"Please stop crying...I don't like it when you cry. Espcially on my account." Diana looked up, "I'm here and I'm alive. Diana, if I had to I would have taken that b-bullet again." Martin closed his eyes trying to get rid of that memory. No matter how brave he was, he knew he had still be shot. The thought of that gun forced him to close his eyes tighter. Warm arms in circled him, and he gripped that warmth. He was stuck in that memory and he just wanted to forget.

"You're safe now. Just let it out. It's okay." Martin clung to Diana for support, trying to find his way back to the light. She may have been the younger sibling but right now he needed her more then anything in the world. Once his breathing calmed down he looked up, a line of tears trailing down his eyes. He always did cry silently at night. "You're safe now and there's nothing to worry about."

"Thanks Di." Martin sat up, with Diana's help and smiled at her. "Of course you do know I just won the bet."

"YOU ALMOST DIED AND YOU'RE STILL THINKING OF THE BET! MARTIN MYSTERY!" Diana hit him in the head again. "Ugh...what am I going to do with you?" She felt herself giggle and heard Martin laugh.

"Have you been practicing that punch?" Martin asked, holding his side because it hurt slightly from laughing.

"Yep, I've been practicing just for you." She smiled and sat down again. "They say you'll be able to get out of this place in a couple of days. I can't wait. Maybe we can clean that room of yours."

"Ah ah ah. I won the bet. You have to clean my room for a month. So what you mean is, we can go home and I can watch you clean." He made a funny face at Diana and she just laughed. "I take that as a yes."

"Martin, you know what."

"What?"

"You're my her-"

"MARTIN!" Diana made a fist and scowled. Java and Billy ran into the room, their faces had huge grins on them and their eyes were shinning brightly. "Martin okay!" Java went to give Martin a hug but he stopped him.

"Easy there big guy. It's nice to see you guys." Martin smiled at them, "What were you gonna say Diana?"

"It can wait till later." She smiled at him again and took his hand. He squeezed it lightly. Diana pushed the call button and the nurse who had talked to M.O.M before walked in. Martin paid no intrest to her beauty though, she was at least thirty and he knew she wasn't in his area of reach. In truth, Martin didn't seem to find other girls that attractive anymore, well he did but he really didn't feel like jumping out at them anymore. He would have to wait till he was in prime condition to do so. Martin was still Martin for the most part, which was a good thing.

"Well, nice to see you again Martin." He nodded and heard his stomache grumble. He blushed and laughed, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll go get you something to eat. I'm happy to see you awake again though. How about some jello, chicken noodle soup and some gingerale?" Martin nodded vigorously. "Okay. I shall be right back." The nurse left room for a few moments leaving the small group fo friends alone.

"It's good to see you up Marty! We've missed you at the centre." Billy smiled.

"Though, there is a considerably small amount of damage at the moment," M.O.M stood in the doorway. She had a smile on her lips and took a seat among the group. "Feeling a bit better from earlier Martin?"

"Much." He said with a smile on his face, though it didn't last long. His eyes traveled to a card on the table, well, one of many. He picked the card up and looked at it. "Why is this all crumpled?" Diana held her hands together and M.O.M waited on baited breath as he opened the small, crumpled piece of cardboard. Billy and Java looked confused at the card, wondering who it was from. "Was he-did he want to give this to me?"

"I'm sure he would have gotten around to Martin." Diana tried to stand up for her father but she didn't know what to do at the moment.

"Yeah right," Martin's voice had gone low and his eyes dulled again. It was the sadness that had taken over again.

"What happened with you and dad earlier today Martin?" Diana held his hand and he made no move to pull it away. The nurse arrived and set the tray down. She went about checking his vitals and stitiches, all the while noticing the tense atmostphere. M.O.M motioned for Billy and Java to leave the room with her, leaving Martin alone with Diana. The door closed leaving the two alone to talk.

"Dad...dad did the usual. Called me a liar and said I was stupid for not calling the cops. Stupid! STUPID! STUPID!" Martin closed his eyes, "I wish I was more like you."

"We've discussed this before. Martin, you just have give dad time to understand. You're a mystery to him now. I admit, he doesn't treat you fairly and I know it hurts." Martin looked at her, tears shinning in his eyes again but they refused to fall, "It's okay to cry Martin. No ones going to think you're weak because of it." Martin didn't speak. He held the card in his hand, and read the bottom line over again. "He was...proud of me..." Martin looked away, "He's never been...proud of me before..."

"Martin?" Diana put a hand on his shoulder.

"Then why did he throw it away? What does that mean?" The card became even more crumpled, and Martin's breathing became eratic as the tears made another line down his face, "Why does...why does it still hurt so much? I've prepared myself for this..over and over again..." he looked up at Diana, "And it still hurts!" Diana didn't know what to do. She had never seen Martin react like this. Being the hospital had something to do with it. Normally he wouldn't open up this much but his emotions were on a rollar coaster ride at the moment and the ride wasn't over yet. Diana knew that. Martin knew that. Their dad knew that.

"Diana...what did he say when he left?"

"How did you know he left?"

"It's dad. I know him all to well."

"Martin..." Diana started to rub his back, "I know it hurts but things will get better. You just have let each other in a little." Diana offered a small smile. "Get some rest...I'll go talk to the nurse to see when you're going to be released. Get something to eat as well." Martin nodded, not feeling like doing much else and started to eat slowly. Diana closed the door and waited for Billy and Java to walk up to her.

"How is he? I know Martin's relashionship with his dad isn't great."

"He could be better, but at least he was smiling today." Diana sat down, "I really need something to drink." Diana opened her eyes and saw a can of pop in front of her face, "Thanks M.O.M. Do you think you could do me a favour?"

"Sure."

"Take me to see someone. I have to thank him."

"Sure. Get ready, Billy I assume you are staying." The green martian nodded, "Okay then. Well, don't let Mr. Mystery in." Diana looked confused. "Martin doesn't want him in there at the moment."

"Understandable."


	6. Do You Have A Hero

**I know it's been a while since I have updated on this story. For that I am sorry, but I have written a new chapter. Sadly, the third eye blind will be awhile before it is updated. I have run out of ideas for it but it is NOT the end of it! That I PROMISE you. Enjoy this chapter and tell me if you like it. **

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**Chapter 6 - Do You Have A Hero**

The ride in the car was silent. M.O.M was more silent then most at the moment and looked at Diana who had fallen asleep in the car. The raven haired woman woke her up and watched Diana stretch her arms. "Thanks. M.O.M, I have a question."

"Yes."

"Do you have a hero?" M.O.M thought for a moment, continuing to drive.

"I'm not sure. Do you?" Diana blushed and nodded.

"I think I do," she smiled and her mind went into deep thought. Diana knew who her hero was, and for the past week she knew who exactly it was. It wasn't some braniac, and it wasn't some sports hero. It wasn't someone who was rich and the they weren't famous. Her hero was laying in that hospital room, feeling sad because he felt rejected by his own father. Her hero had taken a bullet for her and said he would do it again. Her hero loved her with all his heart and she loved him. It wasn't the boyfriend girlfriend love, it was the love you felt so deeply that you would never forget that person. She smiled, her brother was the one person who made her feel like she was more then just some braniac. He made her do crazy things and made crazy bets with her. He made her feel alive. He made her something more then she thought she could have been.

Diana watched all the cars pass by and noticed they were coming up to the restuarant by the hotel that the siblings had occupied for a short amount of time. M.O.M pulled into the parking lot and looked at the building. A smile formed on her face and she seemed to disappear into deep thought for a few moments. She broke free of it leaving Diana confused and curious but Diana respected M.O.M's privacy. Diana got out of the car and so did M.O.M. They both entered the shop and walked up to the bar where Murry was standing, serving a drink to a woman with long brown hair.

"Here ya go miss. Enjoy." Murry looked up and smiled, "Nice to see you again. Where's your brother?"

"He's in the hospital."

"Heard about the case," the brown haired woman wasn't listening. She had left to another booth rather quickly, "Your brother is a good guy."

"Tell me about it." Diana sat down, "I just wanted to thank you. You were a huge help." Diana smiled at the bar tender, causing the man to blush. Diana stood up, taking her drink to go and left with M.O.M so they could go relax.

0-------0

Martin was sitting in his hospital bed, thinking. He seemed to be doing a lot of that lately. He watched as nurse passed by his hospital room, looking in and checking in if everything was okay. Martin hated hospitals and right now was no different but inside here, he could keep his father away. At least for a short amount of time he could. For the first time Martin felt so angry, sad, and unwanted. It had been a few months since he had felt that and thought, as he closed his eyes to sleep, that he was really such a terrible person that his father didn't want him. For the first time, Martin felt like he wanted to die.

"Martin?" the blonde looked up and saw his father standing there. A knot the size of a basketball formed in his stomache and he wanted to be sick. He saw it again, the disappointment that had been there before. Gerad Mystery watched his son in anger. He felt it every time he saw Martin and knew it wasn't right and this wasn't what a father was supposed to be feeling. He watched his son hang his head low and pull his knees up into a hug, trying to hide away from the world. "Why must you always hide like a coward?" That had not been what he wanted to say. It was something more like, 'I'm sorry son, I know I hurt you and made you angry. Please forgive me.' Martin looked away from his father and out the window. Gerad saw the tears fall slowly down his sons face but made no attempt to move. He didn't know how to help Martin

"Why are you here? I told you to leave." Martin's voice did not waver as he looked back up the man. Those golden brown eyes had lost their shine and were dull. No longer full of life but replaced with a sense of hoplessness but even that couldn't keep Martin's voice from sounding harsh and cruel. "Just go away..." Martin turned onto his side with a wince and closed his eyes. Gerad Mystery watched his son for a moment before leaving, slamming the door behind him. Martin jumped a bit but otherwise sunk back into the matress, trying his hardest to hold the tears back.

He drifted off into a less then restful sleep and woke up hours later to see M.O.M packing his bags. He saw the shirt he had worn, the blood seemed to have stained the material nicely, leaving a brown spot that probably wouldn't come out. M.O.M had put a white long sleeved shirt, red pants that had an intricate design of a dragon on the pant leg on it and a new black over shirt with a red dragon on the front on a chair. She finished packing up his things and turned around to see him looking at her, red rimmed eyes marking that he had been crying. Martin wished he could stop his crying but it just seemed to seep out after being hurt.

"We're taking you home today. Your father," Martin looked over to see his dad watching him through the door, "Has generously offered to let me stay with you for a month or two. My room is being redecorated so I neeed a place anyway." Martin didn't question the woman and looked at the clothes, "They're new. Diana and I thought that you could use a new wardrobe, other then the oranges and yellows."

"Thanks." Martin replied and watched as she set the bags by the door. Diana walked in and held something behind her back. Martin wondered what she had but didn't ask. He didn't feel like talking at the moment, which was very much unlike him. Diana tried hard to keep a smile on her face and brought out the package from behind her back. Martin looked at her confused then looked at the package. She placed it promptly down on his lap and nudged him in the arm.

"Open it." Martin too the packaging off carefully to see a red box. He opened it and saw a pendant on it. It was common knowledge that Martin wore a pendent around his neck but when he picked it up, he picked it up as if it was the most precious piece of breakable glass in the world. The chain was gold and on it was a carefully made golden ball. Upon futher inspection he found he could open it, which he did. Words were written in it.

"Hero?" The word was made to look simple but elegant and on the other piece was his name and the words 'we love you'. "Why hero?"

"That, I'm going to let you figure out." She smiled at him and stood up, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, and walked over to M.O.M. "You should see the clothes we bought you, and yes some of them are orange and red." Martin smiled, just about the only thing he could do. He put the pendant around his neck and felt some warmth from it. It made him feel safe and loved. Billy, Java and M.O.M also produced a gift. Martin opened them slowly and to his surprised, he found many things he liked. One was his U-Watch, upgraded with his own personal choices of equipment and it had much more energy then before. Billy had gotten a whole set of comic books, his favorite ones, and Java had gotten him a book on all things paranormal. Gerad watched the gifts, slightly dejected that they were just furthering, in his opinion and **his only**, Martin's decent away from reality.

"Thanks." Martin watched them all for a moment before putting his feet over the edge of the bed. The task in itself was difficult and quite painful. His hand moved unconscsiously to his side and waited for the pain to dissappear. Diana helped her brother to the bathroom where he changed, with some help from Billy, and came out looking quite elegant yet cool in the new outfit. Martin was given a pair of sunglasses from the nurse and doctor, quite a nice pair really. He slipped them on to make his look complete. The outfit suited the teen and, if his glasses didn't cover his eyes, made them stand out more and become more vibrant.

"I see our paitent is ready to go home." Martin merely nodded and looked out the window again. "Well, you'll be walking on crutches for some time to relieve some weight off your side. I don't want to see you in this hospital again! Do you understand?" The doctor said in a joking manar, trying to lighten the blondes mood though nothing appeared to be working.

"Sure!" Martin replied, smiling though it lacked some of what it used to hold. Diana tried hard to keep a smile on her face, but seeing Martin like this hurt her. She didn't want to be the reason Martin was like this but deep down that's what she felt.

"It's not your fault Diana," M.O.M whispered into her ear, trying to pull the girl out of her own depression. M.O.M was a smart woman and noticed the change in both brother and sister. Though they did act somewhat normal, both lacked something they usualy had and that was security. After being shot and almost getting killed, of course, one wouldn't feel safe for some time but they also lacked a certain degree of happiness. If it was because of family issues, that was an obvious strain, or the whole ordeal, M.O.M hadn't a single clue. Of course it could have been both.

M.O.M, though she didn't show it as much, was always afraid for the young agents. She knew they could take care of themselves and blamed a part of herself for putting them on this mission but they were the only ones who could have done it. In fact, they were her last choice to go, simply because they were young and shouldn't be the ones to experience this type of thing. M.O.M forced herself to stay strong, but even strong women had tears to shed, wether they were head of the Centre or not. M.O.M wouldn't care to admit this to anyone, and if she did it would be a long time before that happened, but when she had heard Martin had been shot it had devestated her and it had been at least a half an hour to stop herself from crying.

M.O.M watched as Martin was taught how to use the crutches effectively, all the time his focus unclear. Once he was taught how to use his tools for the next month they ushered him into a wheel chair which he would need when they got back. Of course, one would be waiting for him in case he need to rest his legs but still wanted to move around. All the while they had been traveling through the many halls and floors the hospital had, his hand held tightly to the small golden ball around his neck. M.O.M wanted to stay by Martin's side, at least for that month. She knew what he might do, no matter how he cared to deny it. The thought would most likely cross his mind at some point and she wanted to be there when he did it so that he knew there was someone there to catch him when he fell. Diana would be there too but Billy and Java had to stay at the centre. M.O.M needed Billy to tell her when something strange happened. She could assign agents to missions from there.

The limo was waiting outside. Before they left the hospital, they had Martin slip on a new coat, a white cotton coat that moved easily with he moved but kept him warm enough for decently chilly days. Martin's hand was still clutching that little golden ball. Gerad Mystery stepped into the car first. It was seperated into two sections. Gerad Mystery asked for a section to himself, saying he needed to be seperated from Martin openly. Martin, though he didn't look bothered by that statement, was indeed bothered by it and clutched his gift tighter in his hands. The phrase home sweet home didn't quite suit this situation, but as they made their way to the airport to head home Martin zoned out and disappeared into a world of his own. A long month pursued them all and they would have to take one step at a time.


	7. In Need Of A Hero

I have yet another chapter done. I was sad myself when I wrote most of it so it will probably show but otherwise, it's another chilling detail of Martin's home life as I percieve it. Enjoy.

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**Chaper 7: In Need Of A Hero**

The house was more like a mansion in the middle of a vast field filled with wild flowers and had a lake beside it. Infact, it looked perfect to a strangers eye, but for Martin it was far from perfect. It was like a mask that hid the families true nature. Sure, between Diana and himself, things were fine. The arugeing was just there way that they showed that they cared. Now Martin and his father, that was a far different story and had a far less better ending. It wasn't some fairy tale where everything was okay, and it wasn't like tv where the people made up and got back together.

There were times when Martin wished he could have a good father son relashionship with his father, but his father's anger and resentment toward his own ideals seemed to keep them back. That's why Martin remained quiet and hidden in the corner of the room while his father talked about his digs and used words Martin couldn't hope to comprehend. He was smart, sure, but not as smart as Diana, who seemed to understand what her father was talking about. She was a lively part of the conversations but as much as he understood that this is where she belonged, he knew he didn't belong and would usually leave the room to go some place and play a video game or research something paranormal. After his father would usually yell at him for leaving the room and ground him to his room for the night, angry at his son for humilating him in front of his peers again.

Martin's memory served as a painful outlet and let him see some of the more painful ordeals. His memory, in fact, traveled to one rather quickly.

**Flashback**

_Martin had left the room but not before trying to talk to his father. He made his way over to him and touched his shoulder lightly. "Dad...may I please-"_

_"Not now Martin. I'm busy and you've just interupted me." Diana was at the buffet table, eating a few carrot sticks off her plate so she didn't notice her brother when his face turned down. Martin decided to leave the room but overheard one of his father's university friends talking about him. He hung back, in ear shot. _

_"Honestly, that boy of yours really should get some manners. I mean, look at his hair, it's so unruely and un-kept. At least he looked decent tonight, I fear the humiliation it would have caused you if he wore that horrible red suit again. It may not have been formal but...ugh! There is no hope for that boy. Send millitary school they'll get him ship shape. That's what I did with my boy, right to military school at the age of seven." Gerad Mystery nodded. _

_"I've been considering that myself. I don't know what to do with him. He's 14 years old and still acts like he's ten." The 14 year old Martin closed his eyes, stopping the flow of tears and turned it into a angry stare. Diana, in her purple dress watched him but she wasn't sure what to do. "He devotes himself to all things unrational and unexplained. I like this idea but he comes up with the most...what word would be good here, riddiculous ideas to explain things." Martin left the room, and Gerad noticed but would deal with it later. _

_Martin walked to his room, slammed the door and turned his video game system on. Martin changed into his pajamas around ten that night and watched the sky. He turned and faced the door when it opened. He saw his father standing there, watching him. He looked angry at Martin. _

_"Why did you leave? You just made me look bad in front of some of my closet friends." Martin looked away from his fater. "I'm disappointed in you. I don't want to hear a peep from this room for a least three days. You're grounded until then." Gerad Mystery then went about taking away all his video games, books, and other items that would keep his son busy. "Dinner will be brought to you. You have truely disappointed me tonight Martin." _

_"What about tucking me in?" Martin always enjoyed that from his father, but when his father looked at him coldly he knew he wouldn't be getting even a goodnight."_

_"You're old enough. You know how to do it yourself." His bedroom door was slammed shut leaving him feeling cold inside. He didn't even bother to cover himself up as he looked out the window. The door opened again but he didn't bother looking at who came in. _

_"Martin..." He looked up at the sound of Diana's voice. Her hair was pulled up in cute but neat pony tails at either side of her head and she was wearing a yellow night shirt with long sleeves and yellow pants with cats decorating and the bottom of them. "Are you okay?" Martin looked away and shivered but didn't bother covering himself up. "Martin..." Diana watched him worridly. He would slip into these little moments where he would ignore the people around him. He would catatonic from time to time, whenever his father had yelled at him. This was another catatonic moment. _

**End Flash back**

Martin watched as they wheeled him up the ramp that had been built there to host a party for people to ride around in wheel chairs. It wasn't the best theme that his dad had come up, but he didn't say anything and just sat in the corner, watching everyone mingle. He felt it was an insult to joke about people who were in that predicament and refused to sit in one, prefering to stand. Diana had also refused but she didn't get into trouble for it. Martin had was wheeled toward his room, where Diana and M.O.M helped the teen pack.

"So, how does it feel to be back in this place. Looks as good as it ever did." Martin didn't respond, "Doesn't it look so perfect?" Diana gazed out the balcony in Martin's room. Diana smiled and let the cool breeze blow through her hair. "Martin..."

"Not everything is as perfect as it looks," Martin replied and was unresponsive after that. Diana and M.O.M tried to bring up subjects that would intrest him but it seemed that he had once again gone into a catatonic state of mind and wouldn't be out of it for a while. Each time these happened the time frame between going into one and getting out of one grew longer and longer. Martin hadn't had a moment like that in at least two years, but then again Martin chose to spend his summers at Torrington. Diana chose to stay with him for those two years and clearly saw the hurt when they had told their father.

Paranormal activity kept them busy for the most part during the summer, leaving them little to do in social activities. Their summers were generally fun though as they spent most of their time swimming, hiking and just hanging out with Java. Diana came back from her trip from memory central and watched her brother. He just sat there and his eyes had dulled again.

"Martin, lay down and get some sleep. Okay?" Martin nodded and lay down with his sisters help. He drifted into an unconscious state, his light breathing indicating that he was asleep. Diana looked at M.O.M and left the room. The raven haired woman shut the door before turned Diana around to face her. "It's not fair!" Diana all but screamed, "He's supposed to be happy..."

"I know he is." M.O.M replied, "We'll just have to help him with it. Let's try to make this as much fun for him as we can." Diana nodded, "Get some sleep yourself. You look like you haven't slept a wink for a week."

"I haven't, I've been surviving on coffee. Oh and dad says that your room is next to mine, so you might want to follow me. I hope you brought clothes other then centre uniforms."

"Of course." M.O.M replied and followed Diana. Diana entered her room once she showed M.O.M to hers and sank down on the bed and cried. She cried tears of pain for her brother and for her father and for how she felt it was her fault Martin had been shot. Her tears died down an hour later and she drifted off into an uneasy sleep. She sat up twenty-four hours later with a scream. Her cheeks were wet from crying. She remembered her dream and how Martin had died from the gunshot wound. She held her hands close to her chest as it pounded angrily against it. Diana jumped when she heard a knock at her door. "Who is it?"

"M.O.M."

"Come in." Diana watched the door open. She was slightly surprised when she saw M.O.M in a long sleeved light green shirt and red pants. Her hair was held back with a red headband and she had on what looked like black shoes. "You look..."

"Good."

"Thinking more on the lines of different, but yeah, you look nice as well." M.O.M smiled and pulled Diana to her feet and threw her a pair of fresh clothes. "I better get dressed. Breakfast almost ready?"

"Yes. I was going to pick up Martin after I came to get you."

"Are you possesed again?"

"No...why?"

"You're WAY too happy." M.O.M laughed and went to leave Diana's room.

"Well, this is like a vacation to me and as of yet, you've never seen me on vacation." Diana nodded in agreement, "But don't worry, I'll be my old moody self when Martin is better and destroying my office again." M.O.M said this in a light hearted manor so it wasn't implied that she didn't like it. "Truth is, I've come to expect it but it doesn't make me less angry when he drops something."

"Yeah well...I wish we had that Martin back." Diana looked down at the clothes in her hand. "I suppose that he's been hiding this for a long time though, and he's done a pretty good job of it." She smiled faintly, "But I'll get dressed now then we can go get Martin." Diana closed the door and changed into one of her new outfits, which consisted of a pale yellow t-shirt with a darker yellow long sleeved shirt under it and a pair of red jeans that fit snuggly against Diana. She slipped on her sneakers and walked out of her room.

"Martin! Get up this instant!" Diana knew that voice and ran toward Martin's room. His father was standing there, yelling at his son to get up. Diana knew he had gone catatonic again. It seemed to be a regular occurance at this point.

"Uh dad...I'll get him up. Go get some breakfast," she pushed her father out of the room and allowed M.O.M to enter. "I wonder how long he's been laying there like that." Martin was staring at the wall, not responding to anyone. Diana shook him lightly and he seemed to finally come out of his own little world. "Are you hungry?"

"Yeah actually," Martin replied, "I wonder what's for breakfast?"

"I had no idea your family was so well off Martin."

"Yeah, well...my dad won a pretty big sum of money from where he works and he bought this place as a summer house." Martin replied and, with help, took the crutches and stood up. He walked over to his draws and pulled out one of his newer outfits as well. It was blue t-shirt, red baggy pants and an over coat that was white. He walked into the bathroom and ran the water, taking a shower quickly before putting his clothes on. Martin was not the Martin that he used to be, that much was clear. He decided not to gel his hair today and let it hang down, his bangs covering his eyes lightly.

When he stepped out of the bathroom Diana and M.O.M gasped. He looked so different with out his hair gelled up. Instead, his hair fell to his neck and high lighted his face quite nicely. Martin walked past them toward the dinning room. He nearly collasped three quatres of the way there but luckily M.O.M was there to catch him and helped him back into the wheel chair.

Diana opened the dinning room door and pushed Martin in. They werent sure what to expect at this point and would take it one day at time. After all, baby steps were better then nothing.


	8. Mask

**Sorry to keep you guys waiting. I've had a lack of inspiration lately and with exams coming up soon, actually this 31st and Feb 1st. So I'm so sorry, but there will no updates till then. Sorry:(**

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**Chapter 8 - Mask**

Martin lay on his bed watching the stars. Diana had fallen asleep on the couch inside his room two hours ago. Lately, M.O.M and Diana had been keeping him company, cheering him whenever he felt that anger would get the better of him. Martin closed his eyes, the sight of those wonderful stars fading into a blackness that only came when one would shut their eyes. He opened them again and sighed. He grabbed his crutches, wincing a little at the pain that ran up his side and walked out of the room. He was surprised when Diana didn't wake up at the sound of his crutches hitting the floor.

Martin walked the deserted hallways, unaware that a door was opening behind him. He made his way to a door that led to a rather large but cozy deck with steps that led to a pool in the back. It was too cold to take a swim but he really didn't feel like it. He leaned against the wooden banister, watching the stars. "All my life I've dreamed of working for an organization like the centre. I proved to my dad that I worked there when I helped him out but it wasn't enough." Martin let out a long sigh, "Am I that much of a burden to him? Do I really make doubt having me in the first place?" Martin leaned his chin against the banister, "What do I have to do to prove myself worthy of his praise?"

The wind swirled around him, making him shiver. He was wearing nothing but a pair of pajama pants. The muscles on his chest had tightened showing just how stong he was. He clentched a fist and let out another sigh and unclenched his fist, his anger ebbing away turning to disappointment in himself. "Who am I kidding? Nothing I ever do will be enough. Diana is the one who gets all the praise! Her and her stupid-" Martin stopped his sentence and felt guilt settle in the pit of his stomache, "No this isn't Diana's fault. It's mine. Mine for not doing just what dear old dad wanted me to. I bed he'd be proud if I became a doctor or lawyer.." Martin frowned, "Fat chance though. My grades wont let me do that."

Slowly he made his way down the stairs and walked toward the pool. He rolled up his pajama pants and put his feet into the cold water. He splashed it about for a few minutes then stopped and watched the water ripple and calm down again, into the smooth surface. The reflection was one that of a sad face. Martin smiled, imeadiatly finding the fake smile upon his face, a convinving look in his opinion.

"You know, that can only work so long." Martin jumped slightly irritating his injury. M.O.M's scattered reflection watched him. Martin smiled slightly but didn't look up. "I didn't mean to scare you."

"You scare a lot a people," M.O.M just smiled and sat down beside him, sticking her feet into the water. She understood that he was upset and angry, she knew he felt sad and disappointed.

"I don't get it," he looked up at the raven haired woman as her eyes danced with the light coming from the stars, "I don't get why-" he looked up at the stars his own eyes dancing, but not with the light. M.O.M watched the golden brown orbs flutter in between sorrow and confussion. "I do all of this...I've helped save the world countless times but it's...IT'S NEVER ENOUGH!" Martin scattered the reflection of the two again. "I don't get what I'm doing wrong? Why does he hate me so much?" He looked at the woman for the answers she could only take a stab at.

"He doesn't hate you," M.O.M replied, "He's just scared."

"Scared of what?" Martin was a lost little boy in that moment but all the childhood wonder had been replaced with new emotions gained over the years. He was desperate for an answer but knew that his boss didn't have all of them. "Scared of me?" M.O.M didn't know what to say and continued to watch Martin. The teen frowned and looked away again making it seem like he had aged sooner then he should have.

"We should get you back to your room before you get sick." Martin nodded but his body didn't seem to want to move. His body seemd to have frozen in place.

"I kinda figured, even if I was able to get Diana out of there, that I was going to die. Did you know that I wished for it to happen because then maybe, just maybe, my dad would say he loved me." M.O.M was shocked by this statement but said nothing knowing he wasn't finished. "Maybe he would show he cared and would say he was sorry even though I wouldn't be able to say it to him. I had to stay though..." he looked at M.O.M, "Diana needs me." He fell silent after that, his eyes dropping slightly as sleep was starting to take him into it's hold.

M.O.M helped him up and helped him up the stairs. By the time they reached Martin's room M.O.M was tired too. Martin had fallen asleep long ago and it made it difficult for her to make it to his room. She opened the door and put Martin in his bed and covered him up. In some way, he was like her little brother. No matter how stupid or tough he acted he was still a sensitive person on the inside. M.O.M ran a hand through her hair and retired to her own room to get some sleep.

Breakfast was a quiet afair in the morning. Martin sat between M.O.M and Diana, casting an uneasy glance at his father every now and then. He cleared his throat. "I'd...like to go see a movie tonight. Is that alright."

"I don't think so son. You're so weak and could get into trouble. You tend to attract it." Martin closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Yes sir." He rolled away, his head held straight up as he wheeled out of the dinning hall. M.O.M watched Martin for a moment before turning to the siblings father.

"I really don't see a problem with that. I think that getting out would be good for him." M.O.M spoke in a clear voice, "Besides, I'm sure Diana and I would be happy to come along." Diana nodded eagerly.

"No. I don't want him over excited. He might strain himself." M.O.M stood and walked toward the door.

"Like your not doing that to him yourself," Diana muttered as she ate the last of her food. Gerad Mystery stood and took his daughter by the arm.

"What did you say?" he asked, his voice low.

"Let go of her. She has done nothing but speak the truth." M.O.M replied, "You shelter your son but at the same time push him away. Can you honestly say he's been happy for the last year?" M.O.M struck a nerve in the man leaving him frozen to the spot. Diana and M.O.M left the kitchen quickly and caught up with Martin who was pulling on a grey t-shirt with a number ten on it decorating the front. He slipped on a black jean coat and looked at them.

"You ready to go?" Diana asked Martin. He was always the one who went against his dads word when things came to it. Martin quickly nodded and with help, walked out of the house in the crutches. Diana and M.O.M watched the surprised look in Martin's eyes when he saw Billy and Java standing there.

"Let's go!" Martin nodded, smiling a true smile. They helped him into the car and took off down the road. "Wow M.O.M," Billy commented, "You look nice when your wearing something like that." M.O.M had a simple black one piece dress on with a pair of long white pants benieth it. Her had was pulled behing her head and into a small pony tail. Diana wore a pair of jeans and a white long sleeved shirt, something simple.

By the time they got back from the movies it had gone way past an hour. Martin saw his father standing at the front door. His face was a mix of emotions.


	9. Bonding

Okay, I have recieved a review that saying I have made Gerad Mystery out of character, well I must admit I have. I'm not one to deny their mistakes but just like Martin, he is a bit out of character too. Believe it or not, he was actually scared about what happened to Martin. My flash backs I can see possible, but this is the divide that does make it so they can repair their relashionship a bit. It's just taking a bit of time but hopefully this will help things. I have taken some advice offered to me and I will admit, I have been a bit hard on Gerad, for which I am sorry. :( Hopefully this chapter will help in the story. I will take into account your suggestions and use them. Thanks for the reviews.

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Chapter 9:

Bonding

**A week later...**

Martin watched the water in the pool, keeping his feet in the water. He frowned when his fathers reflection came into view. "What do you want?" Martin asked not bothering to hide his annoyance at the man. The reflection frowned and walked closer to him.

"Just to...talk." Martin looked up, an ebrow raised. "Why do you look so surprised?"

"Everytime you want to talk I'm either grounded or it turns into a shouting match." Martin rubbed the spot on his arm where his father had a fierce hold only a few days before, "Lets face it, you actully hurt me last time." Gerad frowned and watched his son.

"That bad huh?" Martin nodded, "Look it's hard for me to say I'm s...s-"

"Sorry." Martin watched his father looked away, "What's so hard about it? It's one word." Martin stood up and winced but ignored most of the pain, "Just try and understand. It's not as simple as saying your sorry anymore. Though I'd like it to be that easy it's not." Martin faced his father, "When you can see that there's more to me then you think then maybe we can...talk." Martin walked away leaving his father stunned.

Gerad Mystery sat up in bed. His dream had said what he'd wanted to say for the most part but he found it quite difficult to talk to his son right now. He stood up from his bed and wandered down to Martin's bedroom. The door was open slightly allowing the light from the stars and moon to glow through the window and crack of the door. He opened the door fully and watched his son sleeping.

Martin was curled up in a ball with his head on the pillow. He groaned and turned over, nearly falling off the bed. His father caught him just in time and covered him up again, making sure he was warm. Gerad ran a hand through his hair and sat down on the couch inside the room. Martin looked a little flushed in his opinion. He walked over to him and put a hand to his forehead. There was a fever and it was growing.

Gerad quickly dampened a cloth and put it on Martin's forehead. The teen moaned but didn't wake up as the coolness of the cloth sunk in. Martin groaned a few more times before opening his eyes. They shot up wide in surprise but Gerad pushed his son down and smiled at him.

"You have to rest." Gerad commented gently, "You have a fever."

"Why are you...doing...this?" Martin paused every now and then, using hand gestures trying to emphisis his point.

"I'm doing this because I want to say that I'm sor-so-"

"Sorry." Martin's ebrow rose on one side, a frown marking it's place on his face. "You can't even say it."

"Martin you know I am."

"Do I know you're sorry? Do I? I mean, look at the years we've had. Now, do you think I know you're sorry? I'm not sure."

"Alright! I'm sorry!" Gerad snapped out, "Happy now?"

"No," Martin shook his head, "Because you didn't mean it. I had to make you say it. For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

"For what? You're poor grades or your attitude." Martin frowned but didn't respond right away.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't be your perfect son." Martin turns over and closes his eyes, "Could you please leave for a bit?"

"I...I am sorry Martin." Gerad replied walking toward the door, "I didn't mean to make it sound the way it did." Martin laughed and sat up, watching the man in front of him. "Honestly."

"I know but you did." Martin looked at him for a moment, golden brown eyes flickering breifly before becoming deep calm depths again, "This is the way it is between us. Ever since..." Martin looked away, "Nevermind. I'm tired and I'm sure you are too. Go to bed." Martin fell back down against his bed, sleep pulling him in. Gerad left his son alone and retired to his own room, but sleep iluded him. He sighed and pulled a book of the table, reading it.

Reading didn't seem to help and forced him to look back at his behavior for the past few days. Martin seemed to be fading away from him, he knew that much, but again he didn't want to the put the blame on himself but with no one around to tell him it wasn't he was forced to face the truth. He closed his eyes, trying not to think about about all the painful memories between. He sighed and looked out his own window. He questioned himself and even more so tonight.

He questioned himself on one of the main issues brewing within his tired mind, why had he been so mean to Martin these past few days. His mind suddenly wandered back to the hospital and how his own son had kicked him out. Most fathers would have been welcomed to stay but he couldn't blame Martin. He had said some terrible things and called his own son foolish for rushing in to save Diana when he knew he would have done the same thing. Martin was probably right when he meant there had been no time to get help.

Gerad was proud of his completely but when it came to showing it, well...he lacked in that area. He had tried showing his love for Martin but he was pushed away, his son mistaking it for another round of fighting. There had been no shouting at least but he was still worried about Martin. He was worried that they would never get close again. He closed his eyes and stood up, heading towards Martin's room again.

The blonde teen was asleep again, his sleep destirbed for a few moments as the fever forced a groan out of him. He had paled quite a bit from last time and had sifted to his good side, holding the other in pain. Gerad moved quickly to his sons side and pulled the pajama top up just a bit. The area around the stitches had turned red and it looked like the wound had become infected. Gerad, with a bit of difficulty, picked up his son and put him in the wheel chair and pushed him towards the car to get him to a hospital near the property.

An hour later Martin was released back to his father and brought back home. Martin had been givin at least two sets of pills, one to keep the infection away and the other to help get rid of it. They were currently in the car when Martin began to stir.

"You're up? How do you feel?"

"Sick. What am I doing in the car?"

"I took you to the hospital. You're stitches got infected." He stopped the car in front of the house, "You weren't doing too well when I came to check on you." Martin looked at his dad then looked down.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome. I want you to stay in bed for a couple of days, just to rest. The nurse said you would probably still feel sick for a few days because of the medication." Martin nodded and closed his eyes again. "Are you tired?"

"A little. Why did you help?"

"Why do you need to ask? I love you more than you think I do. I just treat you...tougher because you don't take your lessons seriously. You devote your time to all the unrational ideas. You've got a good head on your shoulders, I don't doubt that." He turned to his sons, "I love you Martin it's just-"

"What?"

"It's just a little bit harder to show. You're so much more different then your sister and your spirit is just as wild as your mothers." Martin looked up, his eyes lighting up for a few seconds before appearing dull again. Those memories brought on the best and worst kind of feelings in both father and son, "It's so hard to tell what your thinking and I usually end up yelling at you for it."

"Why has it been so much worse lately?" It was a good question to ask leaving Martin's father quiet for a moment, needing time to think.

"I guess I was just so...afraid."

"Of what?"

"You dieing." Martin's eyes grew wide, "I almost lost you. You're sister almost lost you. Do you know what that would have done to us? Martin you are one of the very few people on this earth who bring a smile to someone's face and over the years I've failed to notice that. I do love you though. I love both you and your sister equaly and if I ever lost either of you...Martin...we almost lost you. **I **almost lost you and that scared the hell out of me. If you had died a part of me would have too."

"Do you...do you mean all that? Or are you just saying that so that I'll stop being angry?" Gerad sighed and watched as Martin's eyes became down cast.

"I mean it with all of my heart Martin. We may not always agree on your ideas or thearies but..."

"Don't." Gerad looked at Martin, "We don't agree but that doesn't mean we can't...meet in the middle." Martin smiled and it made it's way all the way to his eyes.

"I like that idea. I do realize this will take time." Martin nodded, "How about we get you inside and back to bed. When you get some rest we can go...camping, as a family."

"I like that idea."

**The Next Day...**

M.O.M stood in front of the blue doorway. She had her suitcase and files in hand. "Do you really have to go so soon?" Diana asked, holding Martin's hand. Martin just smiled at her and watched as she backed toward the portal.

"I'm afraid so. Things have gotten a little crazy lately. I'm glad you and your father are getting along on better terms though."

"Thanks." M.O.M looked at him, confused. A faint pink colour tinted his pale cheeks, "For being there for me and...talking to me and stuff. I really needed that." M.O.M smiled and nodded.

"I expect you back at the centre next month."

"You bet! Save the best cases for us!"

"Yes, and I'll be sure to hide all breakable objects." Everyone laughed as M.O.M left with Billy and Java in tow. The door closed leaving the Mystery family alone. Gerad looked down at his son.

"You get back to bed and rest and Diana and I can plan the trip. Maybe we can visit one of those temples, see if there's a ghost or two." Martin and Diana smiled.

"And maybe we can look at the writtings on the wall, see what ancient peoples used to live there."

"Sounds cool," Diana commented, "You want help to your room?" Martin nodded, falling asleep in the wheel chair. "More tired then he thought he was. I hope that infection clears up soon."

"It should." Gerad Mystery replied and frowned. If anything, Martin had grown more pale then before. The father didn't know what to do and grew more worried as the day passed. Martin seemed to sleep longer and he seemed to be getting sicker with each passing minute. If the medicine didn't help in another two days he would be taking Martin back.

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_**Okay! Another chapter done, but fear not. This is not the last chapter. I still want to build that father son relashionship. As mentioned before, in chapter 8 I did go out of character but, in a way it was essential to the story. Kinda like being over dramatic in the arguments then being a tad over dramatic here, but I guess that story works with it. :D I want to thank all those that have reviewed. You've been so loyal. As for M.O.M staying with Martin, I've always felt that she had a soft spot for him. **_

**_As mentioned before, this is not the last chapter. I estimate there a about two or three more. So, for now, I hope you've enjoyed this story. It's certainly kept me on my toes, as have you reviews. :D_**


	10. Just When Things Were Getting Better

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Chapter 10 - Just When Things Were Getting Better

Diana woke up to the sound of a bird pecking at her window and groaned. It was at least 6 am but she had grown accostomed to waking up at seven. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, stretched, and stood up. "Well, at least today looks like it's going to be good." Diana felt a tug in her stomache, signaling bad news. She dismissed it to lack of sleep and walked out of her room to Martin's. She opened the door and looked in. Martin was still asleep, curled up into a ball. The covers had fallen off him. Diana blushed, the sight of her brother sleeping topless still made her feel somewhat over powered. Sweat was pouring off his body and he was shaking but the window was closed and the room was fairly warm.

"Diana. What are you doing up?" Diana turned to face her father. She smiled sweetly and looked back to Martin.

"Coming to check on him." Diana replied and walked up to him, "He doesn't look too good." She put a hand to his forehead, "He's really burning up! He's so pale..." She went to the bathroom and retrieved a cool cloth from the sink and put it on his head. "He's so cold too." She put the blanket over him but he moaned and threw it off.

"Too warm," he moaned and opened his eyes, "It's too warm in here."

"Are you feeling okay Martin?"

"Too...warm..." Martin moaned again and closed his eyes. He groaned and turned over onto his side wincing as the bed came into contact with the injury. "It hurts..." Martin moaned and clasped his eyes tight. He didn't seem to be aware of anything around him. Slowly his eyes opened again and he let out a heavy breath.

"Martin you gotta snap out of it," Diana slowly lifted her brother into a sitting position. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fainted against his sister, his head falling forward leaning againt her shoulder. Gerad quickly called one of the staff to prepare a room that just the right temperature and with help, moved Martin to it. Martin was surround with blankets and had an ice pack on his head. He would groan every now and then but showed no signs of waking up.

Diana, on the insistance of her father, had gone outside to relax for a few moments. Her mind had gone into it's own little world. She broke out of her thought quickly though when she heard her father call to her. She rushed inside the house and found him standing there with a cup of hot cider. She took it gratefully and drank some.

Hours passed, leaving the family in a state of worry. Martin hadn't grown better, his fever slowly continued to rise leaving both father and daughter to become more tense. Gerad entered his sons room and watched as the blonde boy slept. He was ghost white and his hair was damp with sweat. Geard brushed it out and moved some to the side. A groan from his son made him jump and grip Martin's hand. Slowly dull golden brown eyes opened.

"Sorry..." Martin croaked out and looked at his father, "I didn't mean to ruin the trip..."

"It's not your fault. You're not feeling well, that's allowed." Martin pulled on his fathers wrist. "What's wrong?" his sons eyes had gone very glassy and he was looking a bit green. The man quickly pulled up the bucket and Martin emptied the contents of his stomache into it. Martin closed his eyes again, breathing deeply trying to gain back some air into his lungs. Gerad rubbed Martin's back for a few moments and helped him sit up against the headboard of the bed.

"Dad..." Gerad looked up, "I don't feel so good." Martin fell foreward. A red stain started to soak the sheets. Gerad pulled Martin up, a thin trail of blood was making it's way down the pale teens chin. He called out to Diana who ran inside.

"Call 911." He told her calmly. She did and he took the phone. "Yes. My son needs an ambulance now. He's got blood running down his mouth and he's running a fever. Yes the adress is-" Diana had tuned out by then. She craddled Martin's head in her lap as he struggled to breath.

"Come on. Come on." A stretcher soon came into the room and the paramedics put Martin onto it. Diana rode in the ambulance while her father followed behind. She watched the men in the ambulance work quickly, hooking her brother up to all kinds of machines to keep him alive. The oxygen mask had to be the worst part to see for her. She watched as it helped him to breathe.

By the time they were at the hospital Martin was pushed into the OR leaving Diana and her father to worry a great deal. The doors opened three hours later but the doctor didn't look at all happy. Diana felt tears gather at her eyes.

"There's good news," the docter said stepping out of the operating room, "We stopped the bleeding." Diana looked up, confused, "You see he was moving around so much that it caused him some internal bleeding. He's stable right now but there is still a chance that he might not-"

"Are you saying there is still a chance that he might-"

"Die?" Gerad finsihed.

"I didn't say that. There might be reprecussions though. It seems we didn't notice before but a piece of the bullet lodged into his spine. If it's not taken out it'll poison his blood." Geard pushed his hands together and bent his head. "The surgery has a 50 chance of working but if it shouldn't...your sons ability to walk will no longer exsist." Diana frowned at this.

"If we leave the bullet in?"

"Your son could die."

"So, there's no other way?"

"Well there is one way, but that's a really really really good mirical." The doctor laughed for a moment.

"Do not mock me."

"I don't see why I shouldn't. Frankly, your quite easy to mock." The doctor walked up to Gerad, "You see, I am a doctor, one of the best in the country. You're son killed my brother. I don't appriciate that." Gerad to turned to his daughter.

"Run," he whispered to her.

"But-"

"Do as I say." Diana ran toward Martin and grabbed his U-Watch. She called for back up and shook Martin to try and wake him up. Meanwhile, out side was a little busy.

"So, were you telling us the truth when you said that there was a shard of bullet in his spine." The doctor didn't reply and pulled a gun out of his coat.

"Did you think that Martin was shot on accident?" Gerad's eyes grew wide, "Did you think that it was all for nothing?" the doctor laughed, "No. You're son was supposed to **die.**" The man's smirk faded and turned into a frown, "But no. The little whelp had to survive didn't he? Always the good centre agent. Always the one to get the praise. Always the one who gets away with most things. No, not me. Not my brother and he was a damn good agent until he gained that naughty habbit of chasing every girl with a skirt. Too bad but he did fulfill his purpose to some degree. He got that nasty little agent out of the way."

"You planned my sons death?" the blonde man stood, "Why would you even consider that? Didn't you work hard enough to get at the post he was at?"

"Me, I've never had to work for anything my entire life. I've had it all but when that little pest came...well I'm not that top notch anymore, am I?" The man stiffened in anger and pointed the gun at Martin's father. "You see, he ruined it all. Everything I didn't do, everything I didn't work for. It was all ruined in one shot. That clumsy little bastard deserves this. He doesn't deserve to live." The man waved the gun around, "How fitting. Again he'll die at gun shot. This time though I'll make sure he stays dead."

"You won't be touching a hair on my sons head." Gerad growled preparing to charge at the man. The doctor laughed and snapped his fingers. Three nurses came out, one held Diana's arms behind her back and the others had Martin's stretcher wheeled out.

"Docter.The.Paitent.Is.Ready."

"Ah...you have got to love the art of mind control. It's so rewarding." He loaded the gun and aimed it at Martin's heart, "He'll be awake soon, the drugs will wear off soon." Martin groaned and winced in pain. "You see, as much as I love helping people, he's not one of them. Surgery is intresting when you still feel pain when it's going on...doesn't it blondy." Martin opened his eyes wide and screamed in agony as the man touched the area where the stitches were bandaged. "I love that sound." Diana squirmed in the nurses grip but it proved to be no use. "There's no point in struggling girl. I know I'm going to prison after this but it's all worth just to see your brother squirm."

"Leave him alone!"

"Sorry little girl, but today just isn't his day." The insane smile on his face grew and he pointed the gun at Martin's head. "It seems to be mine though. My trigger finger is just itching to go." Diana squirmed harder but the nurse was vrey strong for someone so lean.

"Let me go!" she screamed but the nurse covered her mouth. Diana bit her, forcing the nurse to let go and knocked the man away from her brother. Gerad kicked the gun away from the mans hand and down a deserted hallway. Gerad assumed everyone ran when they saw the gun. He sighed and picked the man up by the collar.

"You **ever **think of hurting my son or daughter again and I will personally be the one to kill you. You do not mess with a parents kids...got it?" The man smirked and punched Gerad forcing him to let go. He ran for the gun and managed to grab it. The doctor made a swift turn and pointed the gun at Martin again. Two of the nurses had disappeared, seeming to have fallen out of their trance. The third nurse, also out of hers, was checking on Martin.

"He's in trouble. If we don't get him calmed down he could go into shock." Diana nodded and took his hand.

"You gotta stay calm." Martin looked at her then at the gun. "I know it's scary and I know your scared but you gotta stay calm." Martin took a couple deep breathes and closed his eyes.

"He's calming down but not enough."

"SHUT UP! Let him die. He's going to die today and there's nothing you can do!" The nurse frowned and watched the blonde on the stretcher.

"Calm down, everything will be fine." Martin's breathing was becoming faster and more paniked. The nurse was about to go get an oxygen mask for him but a bullet was fired at her feet. "Well I never!"

"How come...your not...scared?"

"My father used to take me hunting. I've had a few accidents in my time." She turned to the man, "I need to get him something to help him breathe easier." The nurse dodged another bullet (1) and came back out with an oxygen tank. The mask was slipped onto Martin's mouth and nose. Diana helped to keep him calm. The doctor's hand with the gun in it was shaking. Martin had his eyes closed tight (2) and tried to forget the gun was there.

"Now I'm angry. You won't like me when I'm **ANGRY**!" The gun in his hands fired...

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I figured I should put a nice little plot twist in the story and to tell the truth I didn't even know it would lead to that.

(1) That is one brave and crazy nurse.

(2) I know Martin is brave but if you were being shot at again with a gun after a short period...I know I would be really scared. The nurse, she's a little crazy but she's smart!


	11. I NEED YOUR HELP!

Okay! I need your help guys! This is your choice here. Now, I have two ideas developing for my next chapter. I want you to vote, which one would you like more.

(1) Martin gets shot

(2) It all turns out to be a horrible night mere and that everything is okay

Remember! Please vote!


	12. Overcoming the Odds

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Chapter 11 - Over Coming the Odds

Please note: I have taken into account yet some more wonderful suggestions and I apreciate the help. I really do enjoy the advice you guys give me. It helps me to write a more enjoyable story. So...for your reading pleasure...chapter 11...

The sound of the gun going off sent the family into a run. Diana pulled her brother down but it wouldn't help. The bullet would still hit him. Martin closed his eyes, waiting for the blow but one didn't come. He opened his eyes and watched as a man stood in front of him. He knelt down but Martin was in too much of a dizzy spell to realize just who had saved him. He heard Diana gasp as her hold on him got stronger. It was as if she was trying to protect him from the outside world. He closed his eyes and leaned into her, his breathing coming in short gasps.

"Di, what's going on?" His sister squeezed his hand but didn't reply. Martin, still watching through blurry vision, watched the man fall to floor holding his shoulder. Martin closed his eyes and opened them to find his vision clearing up. He looked at the man and almost screamed. Danny held him against her trying to keep him calm. He stopped moving and was too shocked to move. "Dad..." The man looked over at his son and smiled.

"It's just a scratch," he replied and pointed to his shoulder, "Nothing a few good days of healing can't cure." Martin didn't know what to say. He was too shocked to do much of anything at the moment, everything he had known flashing before his eyes.

"You...took the bullet..." Martin said slowly so his father could understand him.

"Yes. We need to get you out of here." Martin didn't move from his sisters grasp and felt something sliding down his cheek but he didn't care at the moment when he felt his world start to dance around again. Diana was looking at the doctor who had obviously gone off the deep end.

"Aw...what a touching family moment," the man commented, "Now how about we just get this over with Mr. Mystery before anyone else gets hurt." Martin closed his eyes and pulled on Diana's arm.

"I need my U-Watch for a minute." Diana gave it to him but he just couldn't seem to zero in on the tool he needed. Diana helped him and took the grapping hook. Martin aimed it at the mans feet and pushed. It circled his feet and with Diana's help, pulled the gunman down with a loud crash. A cart holding bottles of clear liquid fell and broke on impact spreading tiny shards of glass every which way across the floor. Martin's world dimmed in and out again as he felt something warm on his back but again he didn't care as he made sure

"No one..." Martin by some miracle stood, "Is going to...harm my...family...ugh." He fell down and used the stretcher for balance. Diana was up on her feet and helping to support him, "I...wont let you...hurt them."

"Neither will we," Shocked eyes turned around to see M.O.M standing there with a fair amount of centre agents. "Come with us doctor, you've done enough damage." The man merely rolled his shoulders and watched the head of the centre. She stepped foreward toward the man, her own gun pointing at him. "Weigh the options. There are at least seven of us against one of you. You only have one gun while we have seven on our side, chose." Martin leaned into Diana forcing both siblings to fall to the floor again. "Now I see the obvious choice quite clearly, don't you?"

"You think you can fool me?"

"How so? This is no trick." The man paled and dropped the gun, running as fast as his legs could carry him. "I want him captured," she told the agents. They nodded and ran after him while M.O.M went over to check on the family. "We can definatly get this fixed," she said observing Gerad Mystery's shoulder. She looked over at Martin, "You need to get a few good days sleep." Diana looked down and saw her brother breathing softly.

"I think he's already beat you to the punch," Diana replied.


	13. Epilouge

**Well, the final chapter of this story and I must say it took a lot of re-writes just to get it the way I liked it. I hope you enjoy it**

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**Epilouge**

**2 Months Later**Gerad Mystery fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood. The gun barrel was in Martin's face and Martin was starting to feel the pain and fear making its way into his heart. "Dad...W...why'd you have to take the bullet?" Martin back away and slipped in his own blood that was mixing with his fathers. He looked at his hands and saw they were soaked in the red liquid. He backed away more quickly now trying to get away from the gun. The man screamed his name. "MARTIN! MARTIN!"

"MARTIN!" Martin's head shot up and before he could stop he shouted out.

"DAD!" Martin watched as the science class laughed at his expense. The science teacher was looking a little more then annoyed at the way Martin had dozed off and set down the test tube he was holding.

"Mr. Mystery, although I do enjoy having some peace and quiet in the class I would appriciate that you could manage that by STAYING AWAKE!" The teacher was on one of his last nerves. It was a Thursday, one more day before the weekend, and his car had recently broken down. Martin was still in full panic mode but it was slipping and his cheeks turned a bright red before he stood and left the class, "WHERE ARE YOU GOING? GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!" Martin was too far gone down the hallway to hear his teachers voice.

Diana heard the science teacher yell and saw her brother walking away past her own class. She raised her hand and the teacher nodded. Diana stood up and gathered her books before following her brother to his room. His eyes looked haunted like they always did after he had a nightmere. Martin looked away from his sister, trying to hide the pain from the dream. Diana put a hand on his shoulder.

"How have you been sleeping?" she questioned. He glared at her but it fell almost as quickly as if formed and he sighed in defeat.

"Not well," was his reply before he sank down onto his bed. He was angry at himself for letting all that pain torment him. It was only two months ago that his life had taken a major shift and his father had become more supportive but it had taken a gun and getting shot to get his father to grow into that change. He frowned, memories of the past flooding his memory and suddenly he felt angry. Really, really angry! He stood up and Diana backed away and ducked as a text book went flying across the room breaking a glass cup full of orange juice. She learned to expect this and went to help him clean it up.

The glass had been cleaned up and he looked at her, his eyes clouded over with guilt.

"I'm sorry," he said and threw the glass away, "I just...I don't know what came over me." He wasn't sure when his anger had gotten so bad. Diana nodded and helped him up and to his bed. It was the last class of the day so Martin didn't have to worry about missing anymore classes. Diana stood and looked at him.

"It's okay. I'll go grab us some dinner and after you eat I'll sit by you well you sleep." Martin smiled.

"Yeah, you usually end up signing off with me." Diana laughed and nodded. "Hurry back."

"Okay." She smiled and returned rather quickly with two meals. They both ate, finished their homework and talked for some time. Diana smiled as she found Martin nodding off. He tugged at her wrist. Diana locked the door and crawled into bed next to him. Now those thinking of it in the Diana as Martin's lover mode, that's not it at all. Diana was showing her sisterly love, cuddling him like he used to do for her when she was scared of storms. Martin wimpered in his sleep and Diana held him closer and his wimpering stopped. She smiled at her brother.

"You're my hero, I'm sorry I haven't told you sooner."

"You're mine too Diana, you're my hero too." He whispered in his sleep filled daze and found peace in his own dreams.


End file.
